Pony Bob Haslam

American Pony Express rider

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July 20, 2026

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Robert "Pony Bob" Haslam was a renowned rider for the Pony Express, a rapid postal service operating in the western U.S. from 1860 to 1861. Riders, often young, were celebrated as heroes and required to take a strict pledge of good conduct. Haslam holds the record for the longest and fastest run, covering approximately 360 miles (580 km) in 40 hours in May 1860. This included an extended ride through hostile territory and a rescue mission, demonstrating his exceptional stamina and reliability. The Pony Express, though a financially unsuccessful venture, was crucial in connecting California and the West with the rest of the nation during a turbulent period leading up to the Civil War.1234

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Pony Express
Heroes on horseback
…the service’s most-storied riders was “Pony Bob” Haslam, holder of the record for the longest and fastest run in the history of the Pony Express. That much-celebrated run in May 1860 began at Friday’s Station on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe and took Haslam east on his normal route…
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…the service’s most-storied riders was “Pony Bob” Haslam, holder of the record for the longest and fastest run in the history of the Pony Express. That much-celebrated run in May 1860 began at Friday’s Station on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe and took Haslam east on his normal route…
Read More